


Beautiful Boy

by Eccentric_Grace



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 13, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baby Jack Kline, Castiel is Jack Kline's Parent, Cute Jack Kline, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Jack kline - Freeform, Short & Sweet, Song fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29875203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eccentric_Grace/pseuds/Eccentric_Grace
Summary: After Kelly gives birth, Castiel brings to the bunker a baby Jack Kline
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel & Jack Kline, Castiel/Dean Winchester (implied) - Relationship
Comments: 8
Kudos: 51





	Beautiful Boy

**Author's Note:**

> song fic—Beautiful Boy by John Lennon

Jack was just a wee little thing, tucked into his chest with baby-soft skin and a button nose. His cotton hand was wrapped tightly around Castiel’s finger, and Cas was holding him gently to his chest.

Castiel’s skin was still soaked with sweat from the battle just before. His heart was so heavy, seeing the emptiness in Kelly’s eyes before Dean tugged the bedsheet over her face. All that was left of her now was this sweet boy, perfectly calm with no hint of a tear on his apple-rose cheek.

So Castiel swaddled him up in the blanket Kelly picked out, the same orange that glowed faintly from his joyful eyes, and whispered in his ear that he would protect him, and he murmured in his deep gravel tone with a strong sincerity: “Welcome home, Jack.”

Now they were in the bunker of the library, and Castiel has since gently wiped the blood from baby Jack’s body with a warm cloth and then tucked him close under his chin. His hand is strong, fitting easily over the newborn’s back, holding him safely. 

“You should get some rest,” Castiel tells him gently. Jack gently hums with the grace running through his soul, but Castiel isn’t afraid. This is his son, now, and to him he’s a little angel, another somebody to guard with his life and love with every ounce of his being. 

Jack doesn’t say anything and squeezes Castiel’s finger more in his baby-sized fist. He blinks up at Castiel with his hazel-orange eyes, and Cas can’t help but feel like he knows nothing, and like Jack had held a lifetime of secrets in his chest that nobody was ready to hear yet.

Castiel quirked an eyebrow, and Jack gives him a gummy smile in response. Adorable is the first word that comes to mind, so Castiel holds Jack a little closer to his chest and smiles to himself.

He hums quietly, walking around the room and gently swaying from side to side. His eyes close, breathing in the moment. It settled in that he was a father, like mist over a forest—a slow rush of a deep understanding. He needed to do his best, and in no doubt was he prepared for this in technical terms.

But it was different, holding a book rather than holding a breathing being, who depends on you and trusts you and loves you like a second nature. Castiel listens to the steady beating of Jack’s heart, feeling a wave of fondness as well as fear.

What if Castiel messes this up? What if Jack will grow to hate him just as Cas grew to hate his father? Just as Dean grew to hate John? He’s seen how hatred can tear a family apart, and he has to get this one right. He has to get it right for Kelly, for one, and more importantly, for the sleeping honeybee on his heart.

Jack continues to squeeze onto his finger, and his heartbeat remains steady. He must feel safe, Cas reasons, right?

“Take my hand,” Dean sings quietly from the doorway, layering onto Castiel’s hum. “Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”

Castiel blinks and looks up. “Dean.”

“It’s a good song,” Dean says, eyeing the two of them with an unrecognizable expressions he keeps a low voice. “How is it?”

“He,” Cas corrects, matching his soft tone, “is doing nicely. I just got him to sleep.”

Dean nods slowly. He keeps staring at Jack. “Can I hold him?”

Now, Castiel has fought, bled, and died for Dean. He would do anything to keep him safe, from giving up his own nonexistent need for oxygen to picking every feather painfully from his wings. But the request given to him causes his heart to stop in his chest, for a moment.

Dean must have caught the flash of fear in his chest, because he smiles slightly and nods. “That’s alright. New parent, I get it.”

Castiel shakes his head. “No, no. It’s okay.” He walks over to Dean slowly, as to not jostle the sleeping baby. He leans towards Dean, so that Jack is between them and Castiel is close enough to see the light blond freckles dotting constellations on Dean’s ears.

Something in Dean’s eyes soften. “He’s almost kinda cute.”

Castiel runs his thumb back and forth over Jack’s baby-clothed shoulder and smiles. “Yes. He is.”

Castiel brings his finger up from where it was being tightly latched onto by Jack, and kisses his pudgy hand. Jack coos in his sleep, and Castiel positively melts at it. “Definitely cute,” he murmurs.

Dean stares at him, unable but to smile with them, but something in his expression suddenly dims, and his face goes stone hard.

Cas notices. He always does. His love is obvious when it comes to showing the wear and tear of a day, especially when it’s bad. Castiel is reminded again of the events of tonight, in which he begins to frown as well. “Dean, about Mary...”

“Don’t,” Dean says softly. “We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

“Are you sure?”

Dean nods. “Yeah, Cas. I’m sure. Just... Let’s be happy for this one win, okay? You’re a dad now. Jack is lucky to have you. That’s pretty cool.”

“Okay,” Castiel says, looking back at Jack. With long curled eyelashes, framing his dimple baby face and open raspberry mouth, his dirty blond whisps of new hair; he was beautiful, and he was his son. His son who was going to change the world for the better, some day. Castiel could feel it in his very soul.

Things were not going to be this peaceful forever. Kelly is gone. Mary is still missing, Lucifer is not dead. But for now, one happy win. 

Jack coos again.

“I will protect you,” Castiel whispers to him, for not the first time this night. “On my life, I will. I promise.”

Pretty cool, indeed.


End file.
